Chapter 185: Back in Action

I spent the next three hours explaining to the rest of the group what happened. It seems that I gave the whole kingdom a scare because of those monsters. But they all regained their composure the day after.

I didn't expect them to understand it easily but it seems that they all said the same thing.

"I'm just glad you're okay."

I couldn't help but let out a smirk as I remember their words. It seems that I really found a good team. I finally found a place where I can belong.

I then spent the next free days resting and catching up. The elite unit, looks like they're going good. I talked to Afal about bring them in the Serpent union raid. To see how well they'll do against that.

"Well... I never brought them out for real other than hunting... I'm pretty sure they'll do fine." Is what Afal responded.

For Lagrima, the former Demon King, he comes out every now and then. But I was curious about something on what he said back in my soul. "Lagrima... about the thing that you said about Herold. What's the nasty smell that you're talking about?"

"That..?" Lagrima then manifested himself on the overworld to talk to me face to face. "Nothing. It just irritated me. He's been there hasn't he? Tartarus. I can smell it."

"Smell it..? He has been to Tartarus yeah. But I don't understand how you know that."

"Not literally. I just feel it. There's a nasty aura around that human. Be careful."

"Sure..." I don't know what he meant by that, but I trust Herold. He's already done a lot for me so I won't betray that by having needless thoughts.

I went out and hunted an artifact dungeon to test out my Demon Form but... all the nearest artifact dungeons has been looted by Neco. So I spent the rest of the free time just resting and nothing doing anything.

Herold came here in Izgoy. It seems that the time has come. "Are we ready to set out?"

I still don't know how powerful I got with the Demon Form. So I'm raring to try it here with real enemies. But I may be overestimating myself and could lead us to lose. "Yeah we're ready to set out."

"So who are you bringing?"

I didn't even think about that part. "Hmm... Give me a second." Since this'll be an all out war against the Serpent union, I'll bring some strong comrades with me. I called over Afal, Zeta and Greta to fight with me. They all pretty accepted easily.

"Let's go?"

"Yeah let's go."

"Wait!" Just as we were about to leave I heard someone calling for us. We turned around and saw that it was Rize running at us. She stopped in her tracks and then asked, "You aren't bringing me?"

"Well... The place we're fighting is an enclosed underground space. So you'll be having a difficult time fighting. And remember that the manticore that I fought three months ago is still missing and have no idea where it is. You just have to hold the fort for me."

"I see..." Rize had a sad smile on her face. It seems that she's worried about the thing that happened to me months ago as Zeta explained. She blames herself for being weak. But I don't think that at all. She was my first friend and comrade when I got transported into this world.

"Well..." I remember doing this to her at our first day of being together. It was like a blast from the past as I put my hand on her head and gave her a headpat. "I'm leaving up things for you here, Rize."

"Heh. Thanks Zieglind." She looked straight into my eyes, "I'll do my best!"

"That so?" I pulled my hand back and went our way as I waved goodbye to Rize.

"That's unfair." Greta suddenly muttered.

I was just confused. "Unfair?"

"No- nothing. Its just that two certain people would also appreciate that gesture."

"I see." I stopped in my tracks and went over to Greta. I pat her head then said, "I'm counting on you."

"That's not WHAT I MEANT-" Greta facepalmed herself and let out a sigh. "I absolutely hate how you're incredibly intelligent at times and incredibly dumb at the same time."

I didn't know what she was talking about so we just continued on for our journey.

After changing into our Gazer forms and flying to wherever Herold led us. It was a long flight which took nearly a day.By the time we got there, it was already midnight.

"Mana Search." I casted. I couldn't see well in the dark and I don't want to activate the other skills to light up the surroundings so I settled with this. I could feel the enemy's mana so I can see better. I looked down and I saw what seems to be hundreds? Maybe even thousands of people under. "Herold... are you sure that its just nine floors? There's a giant place under that dummy house. They seem to have a city down there. My Mana Search can't fully see everything since its too far but their numbers are pretty amazing.

"Well didn't I tell you that the map that we got isn't that great? At least now we know where their base is. We just need to go down. Zeta. Will you?"

"Yeah. Got it." Zeta stood up and brought out his staff. "Barrier!" A single word and Zeta covered the whole dummy house with a barrier. I could hear panic from people inside. "Sound Cancellation!" And in that second skill that Zeta casted, I can't hear anything from their side anymore. "It should be fine. For now."

We rushed in front of the barrier and Zeta opened up a small hole for us to go in. As we walked in that barrier, it felt... weird. There was literally no sound. No matter how one screamed or slammed the ground.

Ten people surrounded us. They seem to be mouthing something but they stopped once they knew that they can't let out any sound.

I was about to change into my form but Greta leaped in instantly with her beast form already ready and pounced on them with her feet as she dug in her chest killing them all in an instant.

"Mana Search!" Even though I couldn't hear myself say that, the spell still activated. It doesn't prevent our mouths from moving or letting out words. It just cancels out the noise and sound of it so spells should still work normally. After activating this skill, I already found multiple people in the top of the house. I looked at Greta and she immediately took action leaping off the ground like a spring and launching herself into the house.

She punched the windows but there was a bit of resistance that caused her fists to be covered in a bloody mess. It must be the Xend material covering this whole house. She tried again, this time completely destroying the window. She grabbed the neck of one of the people inside and threw him outside.

Zeta reacted by blasting the guy who fell into a frozen seal then using wind magic to completely destroy the body of the man.

Greta, within moments, jumped off and dragged with her tens of bodies of other Serpent union members.

"Dispel." He then destroyed the two spells that he casted. "Let's go find the entrance."

"No need." Herold walked in the door of the house so we just followed pursuit. Within moments, he kicked off what seems to be a bookshelf completely destroying it and revealing the hidden passage behind it. We walked down and down to wherever the stairs led but all we saw were just empty rooms. And the height of those rooms were at least thirty meters tall. It was completely empty.

As we got further down again and again, there seems to be a door with two guards guarding it.

Zeta stood forward and then, "Icicle Spears!" Several spikes of ice summoned behind Zeta and launched themselves to the guards completely killing them off.

We went over and there seems to be nothing there. So the only way we could go is the door in front of us. We slowly opened on what seems to be a castle gate. And it revealed something that we didn't even expect.

"Wait... This is mined from TWO YEARS!?" I couldn't help but be shocked.

"How the hell did they build something like this for like two or three years of being here in this world?" Herold too was amazed.

And so is Zeta and Greta.

For what we saw was a gigantic hole... cave? I don't even know what to call it. But our eyes don't lie. That's a freaking kingdom down there. Much bigger than Izgoy. FAR BIGGER than Izgoy.

How tall is this ceiling from the ground down? Several kilometers? How did they mine all of these incredibly fast?

And as I touched the walls, "They're this rich..?"

"What are you talking about?" Herold asked me.

"This feeling on the wall... Its all covered in Xend materials. I can understand why people would follow the man. He has everything. Money, army strength and power."